Alright everyone, here's a new chapter fresh off the presses. This one inadvertently turned into a much larger chapter than I was intending, but I think it was worth it. We have some surprises and new twists for your reading pleasure. So by all means, enjoy.
In her classroom in Paradon, Arcee was going over test papers. Lingering over her top students' results, she let out a laugh. She liked the humorous responses to some of the test questions that somehow managed to convey the correct response. She had a feeling that she had a genius on her servos. She just hoped he could keep his alt mode under wraps.
She was pulled out of her musings by a series of rapid footfalls followed by a loud pounding on her classroom door. Dropping her teachers' tablet, she walked over to the door and opened it revealing a bronze and black mech about her height. Optics widening, she realized it was the student whose test she'd been grading.
"What are you doing here?" She asked. "Class was over-" She was cut off.
"Arcee! Arcee you need to hide me!" He begged frantically.
She looked at the terrified mech before her. "What's wrong?"
"I was drafted for a combiner experiment!" He hissed, glancing at t
Arcee was confused. "I thought you had no problem being part of one?"
"Yeah." The young mech admitted. "But that was before I learned part of the procedure was a mandatory lobotomy!" He nearly screamed.
Mouth agape, Arcee stared at her student. She hadn't known that either. Hearing loud footfalls in the hallway again, she turned to the young mech.
"Quickly, hide in the supply closet, and don't come out." She ordered, opening the door. She wouldn't let this fine young mind be destroyed without a fight. Shutting the door, she barely had time to pick her tablet back up before a large hulking mech peeked in the door.
"S'cuse me mam." He spoke with a faux polite tone. "But we're looking for a student of yours. Over here Anvil." He called behind his shoulder as what appeared to be his identical twin stepped into the doorway, effectively blocking her in. "Name's Hammer." The mech added.
"Is one of them in trouble?" She asked calmly. Hopefully she could bluff their way out of this.
"Well." Anvil explained from the door. "The young mech was picked for an experiment and decided to leave before we could explain everything."
Arcee raised a brow. "Wouldn't he be within his rights to refuse?" She asked.
"He would." Hammer replied. "If he turned into anything other than a beast. And let's face it, animals can't be smart according to functionism."
"And we all know how the senate feels about bots that don't fit within the system, don't we." Anvil added menacingly, looking directly at her. Arcee was unthreatened, however.
"In any case, I haven't seen." She was cut off as Hammer fired a taser into her side, causing her to drop to the floor in convulsions.
"The senate wants a combiner." Anvil began. "They also want you gone freak." He jeered. They'd been briefed about Arcees' history when they learned she was the subjects' teacher. "Either way, we get results."
"Now you tell us where he is." Hammer added as he gave Arcee another jolt. "Or we can eliminate you instea-" He was cut off as the supply closets' door was knocked off its' hinges.
A large two legged black and bronze beast with a horned head charged across the classroom and knocked Hammer into Anvil. Throwing Arcee over its' shoulder as it fled the classroom, it began to charge towards the school doors towards freedom.
It was not to be, however, another taser was fired into his retreating back, causing him to stumble and drop Arcee to the ground. Arcee watched paralyzed as the beast turned back into her student. Hammer and Anvil each grabbed one of the mechs arms and hoisted him up so his feet left the ground.
"Come on you 'clever critter'." Hammer sneered, walking past the twitching Arcee.
"You got an appointment with a 'good' doctor." Anvil added.
"No, NO!" He screamed as he was carried out of sight. "Arcee, ARCEE!"
In the present, Arcee awoke with a start. Sitting up on her berth, she cradled her head in her hands. She had no idea why that particular nightmare had reared its' ugly head after so many years.
She would admit that a lot of her life was tragedy, between Galavar, Jhiaxus, Tailgate and Cliffjumper she had a lot of traumas in her past. Being a teacher, in contrast, had been a great joy in it. However, looking back, she couldn't help but feel as if she'd failed her student that day.
Deciding against going back to sleep, Arcee got up to take a walk around Fortress Maximus. She'd found years ago that a good walk or ride helped clear her head when her traumas began to haunt her. However, as it was past midnight, she didn't think the noise from her motorcycle mode would be appreciated.
Treading silently through the base, she decided to check on her partner/nephew. Maybe it was the lingering feeling of guilt talking, or maybe familial instinct, but she just couldn't help worrying about the young human turned Maximal. She only hoped that she didn't walk in on one of his and Mikos' 'midnight make out' sessions again. Once was enough.
As she passed the section of Maximus that had been devoted to the Maximals, she noticed a light on in the makeshift kitchen/dining room and low voices coming from it. Looking inside, she was surprised to see Jack Miko and Raf at the table nursing cups of various drinks. The bigger surprise though, was Optimus sitting with them in his Maximal body with a coffee mug of milk. Seeing her out of the corner of his optic, Optimus waved her in.
"Come in Arcee, I'm sure that our friends could use some extra company." He spoke.
"Are you three, okay?" Arcee asked as she sat on the floor next to the table.
"Just nightmares." Jack mumbled as he took a sip of tea.
Optimus gave a sigh and looked at her. "I believe that they are suffering nightmares related to my own near-death experience." He replied.
"How would that work?" Arcee asked.
"I was part of Magnaboss while my spark was in Jacks' body." Optimus answered. "And my own emotions from it may have caused them to have nightmares of their own."
"I just don't see how I'd have a nightmare of someone dying in my arms." Jack murmured. He couldn't place it, but he felt like he really knew and cared for that person.
Miko just mumbled as she dozed off, laying her head on Jacks' shoulder.
"Want to trade for my nightmare?" Raf asked as he fiddled with something in his hands. "I dreamed I was trapped in a giant hamster ball."
Giving the Maximals an appraising look, Optimus drained the rest of his milk. He was still unused to eating and drinking like the other Maximals but was coming to enjoy it. "I believe you need to bring these new nightmares up with Rung once his new office is set up." He looked over at Raf. "Rafael, what is that you have in your hands?"
Raf winced slightly at being caught and held up the Chimera Stone.
"Sorry Optimus." He replied. "It's just, there's something about it." Raf stumbled. "I don't know, like it's calling to me."
"That's probably your exhaustion talking." Jack supplied. Gently lifting his dozing girlfriend from her seat, Jack headed out of the kitchen. "Thanks for talking with us Optimus." He whispered as the Prime began to gather up their oversized cups.
"Sleep well Jack, and you as well Miko." He spoke back before turning back to Raf. "And Rafael, please make sure to put the stone back before you go to sleep." He wasn't about to scold him for being curious.
Raf yawned as he stood up. "I will Optimus." He answered, picking the Chimera Stone up. "See you in the morning."
Arcee watched the Maximal leave before turning to speak with Optimus who was washing the cups.
"I wish we could do more to help them." She admitted. Her own nightmare had brought up old feelings of guilt she now hoped to assuage that by helping their charges.
"I think a day trip would be in order." Optimus replied as he set the cups to air dry. "I shall assign them to join the recovery team heading to the old Predacon lab. A change of scenery and a simple recovery mission might do them some good." He explained.
Arcee nodded. "So long as we avoid the spot where Mindwipe jumped us." She added.
"Agreed." Optimus spoke as he turned to her. "So, what has you awake at this hour Arcee." He asked.
"Old memories and nightmares." Arcee sighed. "A student of mine was lobotomized years ago for one of the senates' combiner experiments because he was a beast bot." She said rubbing her optics. "Sad thing is, he could've been just as smart as Raf had it not happened."
Optimus nodded. "Yes, the senate truly committed some heinous crimes." He looked at Arcee. "You are perfectly welcome to join the Maximals on the recovery team. More optics mean less a chance of something being overlooked."
"And the sooner we gather what we need, the sooner we can recover the other Autobots." Arcee answered. What could it hurt.
Down in the relic vault, Raf was taking the Chimera Stone back to where he'd found it. Taking a hold of one of the drawers, he opened it to find not the empty drawer for the stone, but the Enigma of Combination. Wincing slightly at Nexus Primes' artifact, he went to close the drawer only for the Chimera Stone to activate.
"What the?" Raf asked no one as a beam of energy lanced out towards the Enigma and retracted, causing the stone to take on the enigmas' magenta hue. "NO!" He exclaimed.
Looking at the stone, Raf tried to figure out how to return the energy the stone had siphoned to the enigma. However, in his insomnia induced haze all he could think was 'bad, bad, bad'
"I can't put it back like this." He whispered to himself checking the vault for witnesses and thanking every god he could think of that the vault was soundproof so Blaster couldn't hear him. Taking a deep breath, Raf calmed himself.
"Okay." He whispered. "I'll figure this out in the morning. I'm sure no one will notice it's gone." With that he stowed the now magenta stone and exited the vault intending to get a good night's sleep before trying to solve this new problem.
He just couldn't figure out why the stone activated at that precise moment.
The next day, Optimus had gathered most of the Maximals and their partners as well as a handful of the science division. The only ones missing were the Fowlers. Both Agent and Captain Fowler had been placed on Rodimus' security detail while he was in New York. The others would make up the team salvaging parts and equipment from the old Predacon lab to upgrade the space bridge. Without a space bridge of their own however, they were forced to rely on the United States government for transport. He turned to the group.
"Arcee, Bulkhead, Goldbug, Nightbeat and the Maximals shall accompany Perceptor and Jetfire to the Appalachian Mountains to help recover the necessary components and materials to upgrade our space bridge." Optimus explained. "Your transport is waiting outside and will await your return at the nearby airport. Please remain in vehicle or beast mode for the duration of the flight to conserve room. Roll out."
"Alright nippers." Jetfire added. "Ya heard the gaz."
Optimus watched the contingent exit the conference room then turned to leave, intending to get an update from Rodimus at the United Nations. Facing him, however, was Ratchet, and he was flanked by Wheeljack and amusingly Sludge the Dinobot.
"Something wrong old friend." Optimus asked.
"Yes." Ratchet answered sternly. "I wanted you to report to med bay three days ago so I can more thoroughly examine your new hybrid body." Ratchet began. "You have been avoiding me and so now I find myself forced to corner you with backup." He added indicating Wheeljack and Sludge.
"Ratchet." Optimus replied sternly. "With everything going on, my personal health can." He was cut off as Sludges' hand gripped his shoulder. Height wise, he was one of the few Autobots who could.
"You're going." Sludge started simply. And with that, he gave Optimus a strong push and moved him along the hallway.
"Doctors orders." Ratchet added as he and Wheeljack kept an eye on him to make sure he couldn't sneak off.
On the Nemesis, Galvatron watched as the Monstructor six were being repaired within their new dark energon enhanced Pretender shells. When he had ordered the bounty hunters to bring them in, he knew they would be ruthless in their hunt. With the damage they'd inflicted to capture them, he wondered if he should've been more specific regarding them being intact. Birdbrain needed his legs reattached and Icepick had been sliced in half shoulder to hip for primes' sake.
Of the three bounty hunters, only Axer remained behind after delivery. Nightbird had vanished almost immediately after being paid and Lockdown had said something about some additional bounties before departing. Axer however, wanted to do some upgrades to his ship before taking off. Upgrades that he had now completed.
"Alright mate." He began jarring Galvatron from his thoughts. "Thanks for the hospitality and the boon to my accounts." Axer reached out and shook hands with his host.
"Are you sure I cannot convince you to stay Axer?" Galvatron asked. "We could use a bot like you." 'Mostly to track down deserters.' Galvatron added silently.
"Appreciate the thought." Axer replied. "But I've always preferred to do me own thing."
Galvatrons reply was cut off by Tarantulas appearing on a nearby computer.
"Lord Galvatron." He began. "My sensors just picked up several Autobot signals headed towards the old Predacon lab."
Galvatron looked at his new troops. They would be finished 'incubating' in less than an hour. "Axer?" He asked. "How do you feel about a quick, I believe the local expression is 'mail run'?"
"You want me to drop these biters wherever the bots are going?" Axer asked back. "Standard thousand Shainx, easily done. I'm guessing you don't want to send the pods through the spacebridge?"
"Correct, Tarantulas shall load them on your ship and accompany you."
"WHAT!" Tarantulas exclaimed.
"Someone needs to verify their effectiveness." Galvatron answered.
"See ya soon legs." Axer joked as Tarantulas disappeared from the screen. Before he could leave, the ship shook with an explosion.
"What on Cybertron was that?"
Bludgeons' skull face appeared on the monitor. "Two more deserters. Octopunch and Stranglehold. I shall retrieve them."
"No." Galvatron replied. "I need you here." He looked at the security monitors and noticed the Darksyde exit the Nemesis' hangar before shimmering out of sight. He'd forgotten about the cloaking mechanism. "I know how to slow them down."
Stepping over to a control panel, he brought up an image of the Darksyde. Highlighted in red was a small square in the back of the ship. Pressing a sequence of buttons, the sound of a distant explosion was heard through the water.
"There." Galvatron spoke. "While that may not have destroyed the ship, it did cripple it. I implemented explosives in potential escape ships after several Decepticons deserted us." He explained to a confused Axer. "And no, I haven't touched your ship."
"Want me to go after them?" He asked. He'd never gone after someone from the Mayhem Attack Squadron before. It would make his rep forever.
"No, stay with your delivery." Galvatron ordered. "I will send others." As Axer left, Galvatron sent a communication to his new generals.
"Thrust Tankor, Jetstorm." He began. "Order some of your drones to track the Darksyde and its' passengers and bring them to me. Dead, or alive." Either he got them back, or he would make an example of them like he did with Punch.
"As you wish." Thrust replied.
Deep in the Appalachian Mountains the recovery team had disembarked and were headed for the old Predacon lab. They would take the parts from the lab back to the air strip where the human team who'd accompanied them would load them onto the plane. Miko was still irritable about the flight.
"If I knew I'd have to stay in beast mode for four hours, I'd have just flown there on my own. I mean, Jetfire did." She grumbled as she glided alongside Vince over the treetops. Jack and the other Maximals followed the Autobots on foot. Most of them (save Sierra who was being carried by Vince) were managing the forest well in their beast modes.
"There's a difference between his jet engines and your wing power pretty bird." Jack replied, leaping over a fallen log. He couldn't shake the feeling that the group were being watched.
"Yeah." Raf added. "You'd probably be tired and only halfway there by OW!" He gave a yell as Miko divebombed him. Mostly because it was harder to hit Jack.
"Miko play nice!" June called out to her adoptive daughter/future daughter in law. "I'm not above webbing you!" She was feeling antsy too. She kept catching glimpses of movement just on the edge of her field of vision. However, she couldn't tell if it was just forest animals or something else.
Entering the clearing just before the mountain that housed the old lab, they took in the field before them. The natural forest growth had turned the scarred battlefield they'd left behind into a work of natural beauty. They could see that several ponds had come into existence in the area, the largest was where Defensor had thrown Devastator.
Sierra smiled. "It's so beautiful here." She whispered to herself.
"It sure is." Vince said, admiring both the view and his girlfriend.
"Okay you two." Allison added as she literally horned her way past them in her unicorn mode. "We have work to do."
"Indeed." Perceptor added as he examined the entrance to the lab complex before turning to the others. "Jetfire, Goldbug, since you were present last time, I'd suggest you search Shockwaves' main lab area with Rafael and Rattrap. Bulkhead Arcee and I shall." He was cut off as a large four-legged beast leapt from the dark entrance and pounced on Perceptor.
The rest of the group deployed their weapons and took aim at their attacker. It looked like a Predacon only it had a beak and tusks with blade like spines running down its' back from neck to tail. It gave a roar towards them drawing their attention while a second Predacon leapt from the forest and attacked Bulkheads' head.
This Predacons' design was like the first but seemed more lizard like with what looked like four small wings on its' back. Its' ambush attack worked rather well as Bulkheads' attempts to remove it were making it hard to form a plan and causing confusion. Eventually, Bulkhead was able to throw his attacker towards the other Predacon.
"It looks a couple Predacons survived the explosion." Goldbug called.
"I'll knock the other one off of Perce while you snag him." Bulkhead added.
Before they could do anything, they heard a frighteningly familiar roar. Looking up, they could see the familiar form of Scourge soaring towards them in dragon mode. Arcee, Raf, Goldbug, Bulkhead and Jetfire each tried to fire on the Predacon but he avoided every shot and breathed a stream of fire to create a burning wall between the Autobots and the other two Predacons.
"Oh scrap." Miko exclaimed. "Puff's back."
There was the sound of transformation before Scourge walked through the wall of flame without pause. "Why have you invaded our home now Autobots?" He growled at the group. "We do not want you here and you are not welcome here." His vision lingered on the Maximals a moment. "Talk!"
"Wait!" Jack called as he ran between scourge and the others, hands held up in surrender. "We were unaware this area was inhabited. We only came to look for parts." He explained.
"Jack, what are you doing?" Arcee yelled.
"We only require some of the wreckage, with your permission we shall salvage it, and be gone." Jack explained. Scourge seemed to consider him for a moment.
"Once you have your equipment, you shall take the Autobots with you and not return?" He asked.
"You have my word as a Maximal." Jack confirmed.
After a few moments of thought, Scourge nodded. "Drancron, Razorbeast, release your captive." He ordered. Moments later, the two transformed Predacons pushed through the dying flames with Perceptor in tow. While overall similar, Razorbeast had his spines flowing over his shoulders and down his back while Drancron had a pair of his beast modes' wings on each arm and his lizard head for a right hand. The two released the scientist and he limped back over to the others.
"I shall accept your word, Maximal." Scourge began. "However, I will only allow two groups of three in our home, and each shall be accompanied by one of my brethren. And be warned, if I sense any deception, I shall personally destroy you all." He finished ominously.
"I also wish to speak with the three of you." Scourge added, nodding towards Jack, Miko and Raf.
"Not without me present." June interrupted. She'd never seen the original Predacon before and what she'd just seen made her fear for her Childrens' safety.
"And you would be?" He asked.
"Their mother." June replied firmly, stepping closer to her children.
Scourge gave her an appraising look before he nodded again. "As one guardian to another, I can agree to that. The rest of you have until sundown to find what you need. I suggest you begin." With that the remaining Autobots and Maximals divided up with the new Predacons to begin their search while Scourge moved off to the side to speak with his own quartet of Maximals.
"I can't believe they." Bulkhead began before Vince cut him off.
"At least we're able to get the parts without being barbecued." He interrupted. "I just can't believe Jack was able to calm Dragon breath down like that."
"Probably Optimus' influence." Arcee added, then mentally kicking herself for the double meaning of her words.
"Alright." The Predacon called Drancron began. "Do you have your groups chosen?" Jetfire, Nightbeat and Rattrap moved towards him while Perceptor, Arcee and Heinrad stepped up to Razorbeast.
"Very well, let's go." And with that, the groups entered the mountain, leaving the others to act as guards.
As the groups dispersed into the lab, Scourge sat down on the edge of the clearing and motioned for the four to do the same. They stared at each other a few moments before June opened the impromptu meeting.
"I don't believe we've been formally introduced." She began. "My name is June Darby, also known as Kumara, and mother to these three and an additional one by the cave." She finished, nodding towards Vince.
"And I am Scourge." He replied. "The first of the Predacon rebirth, and current guardian and sire figure to Razorbeast and Drancron who you met earlier. Now we know each other." He finished. He looked at the other three.
"Some time ago we fought in a desert when you were merged." He began. "You told me that Megatron wouldn't allow the Predacons to become more powerful than he." He gave them a look that seemed to gaze within their sparks. "I must ask, did Optimus Prime truly desire our deaths?"
The three gave exclamations of disagreement.
"Absolutely not."
"No way scales."
"It's not how the Autobots operate."
Scourge nodded. "I see." He began. "Prime did try to reason with me during your initial attack, but I was too impetuous to believe him." Scourge gave a heavy sigh. "And it cost the rest of my brethren their lives."
"Not all though." Jack said, stepping forward and placing a hand on Scourges' arm.
Scourge smiled. "True. When I saw the wreckage of the lab and believed my brethren were all dead, I set out to destroy you all. When I heard their cries in the fire, my desire for vengeance was replaced with a need to protect what was left of the new generation."
"And we will respect that and your desire to be left alone." Jack replied.
June smiled, both in pride of her son, and at the notion that this great warrior would choose parenthood over vengeance. Perhaps humans and Cybertronians were more alike than meets the eye.
There was a companionable silence between them.
"I have one additional question though." Scourge began, not quite knowing how to put it to words. "When we fought in the desert, I felt a strange familiarity with the three of you. Do the three of you feel anything akin to it towards myself?" He asked.
This threw the Maximals for a loop. June looked confused while Miko Jack and Raf looked at each other. They had to admit that for a ferocious Predacon dragon, Scourge was surprisingly easy to talk to here. Almost like another sibling.
"Maybe." Miko replied after a few moments. "You seem like a decent bot when you aren't trying to roast us."
"And you do care for your family, so that's a plus in our books." Raf added.
Jack thought for a moment. "You know, we do have caverns not too far from our new base." He began. "If you three wanted to relocate, we could find a place for you."
Scourge looked back at the mountain. "I shall, consider it." He replied before getting up and walking back towards the other bots.
Over the course of the afternoon, the two teams made several trips into the lab complex. Several times members switched out so that the more exhausted ones could rest excepting the scientists who were the only ones who knew what to look for. Ultimately, as the sun began to set, the collection was completed.
"Alright blokes and shielas." Jetfire said, taking inventory of the components. "With all this salvage we'll be getting our mates back within a few days."
"I wish you luck." Scourge replied as he walked up to the group, Razorbeast and Drancron in tow. "Now, we bid you all farewell, should our paths cross again." He was cut off by a transport ship speeding into the clearing. "What treachery is this!?" He called.
"Oh, what a lovely little reunion." Tarantulas called from the open side of Axers' transport ship. Behind him were a half dozen modified stasis pods with colossal shapes within them obscured by viscous green fluid.
"Tarantulas?" Leobolt called, mentally switching to his battle name.
"Right in one, 'Minimals'." He taunted as the transport began to descend. "We heard you were having a party and wanted to introduce some new friends of ours. Although it seems you've found some new ones too." He added, eyeing the three Predacons. This would be a better test than he thought.
"You will leave now spider." Scourge called, deploying his guns as the ship hovered a few feet off the ground near the forest.
"Oh, I will." Tarantulas laughed. "After our 'monstrous' new friends have had a chance to work out their, 'anger issues' on you." He took a step off the transport allowing the pods to eject and open, spilling the green fluid around them as six organic looking monsters emerged.
"Say hello, to the Horrorcons!" He laughed.
"When the hell did the cons get into genetic engineering?" Botanica yelled as the group took a step back.
It was an honest question, each of the Horrorcons looked like a monster dredged up from someone's darkest nightmares. There wasn't an inch of metal visible on any of them.
Using his experienced optic as a sharpshooter, Perceptor glanced over them and saw the telltale signs of the truth. "Not organic!" He called. "Just Pretender shells!"
"Aww." Tarantulas whined. "You let the cat out of the bag." He looked at the combined Autobots, Maximals, and Predacons with a mad glint in his visor. "KILL!" He shouted. With that the six Horrorcons charged forth.
Goldbug barely had a chance to get his guard up when what looked like an orange and blue mold monster nearly skewered him with long sharp pincers. Eerily glowing yellow eyes seemed to see right through him as he opened fire, the shots barely doing anything to the behemoth. He was surprised when Rhinox rammed into his attacker at full speed in beast mode, and only knocked him back several paces.
"So." Rhinox said as he transformed and deployed his chain guns. "Does our dance partner have a name?" He asked looking at the creature.
"Once upon a time, my name was Icepick." It replied in a flat monotone. "Now, I am simply a dealer of death." Icepick finished as he charged again. Rhinox unloaded his chain guns into Icepicks' side but was unable to even hobble the Horrorcon.
"And like death." Icepick continued, advancing on them. "The six of us are unstoppable."
Several yards away, Nightbeat, Nightscream, and Botanica were staring down a cyan and grey monster that appeared to be carved from rocks. The truly unnerving thing about their opponent was an ethereal white light seemed to glow from every orifice of his head.
"Scowl." The monster bellowed.
"What?" Botanica asked.
"My name, is Scowl." He boomed. "I wanted you to know it because I wanted you to know who to beg for mercy." Scowl taunted. "And I want you to hear your end coming long before you see it." He finished as he began to advance on the three.
Nightbeats' optics went wide in recognition of the name. "Oh frag, you mean you're the." He was cut off as Scowl let loose a sonic pulse from his maw that sent Nightbeat flying into the mountainside, knocking him out. "No spoilers." He shouted as Botanicas' seed snare wrapped his head and Nightscream loosed a shriek to his middle.
"Think that stopped him?" Nightscream asked. His answer came in the sound of a bellow shredding the snare around Scowls' head.
"Nope."
"Not bad little screamer." Scowl taunted. "But let me show you how the pros do it." He then let loose a sonic scream that forced the Maximals to hit the dirt.
In the skies over the battle, Jetfire was dodging a pale purple gargoyle-like monstrosity with wings and a bright green head. Honestly, it reminded him a little bit of the 'Chupacabras' he'd briefly read about before arriving on Earth. Unfortunately, this bogey seemed to enjoy flying recklessly and had nearly flown into his Skystriker alt mode twice on purpose.
"What's the matter flyboy?" The monster called in a feminine voice. "Afraid of playing a little chicken with little old Wildfly?"
"Not in the least lass." Jetfire called as the now confirmed femme divebombed him again. "Just not a fan of dying like a wingnut."
"Aww." Wildfly whined. "The crashes are my favorite part." She barrel rolled underneath Jetfire, using her shells talons to slice his fuel line and send him into a tailspin. She is a little disappointed to see him transform into bot mode and fall through the trees, slowing him down to a survivable speed before impact. Hearing a faint groan, she smirked.
"That was fun, wanna play again?"
Back on the ground, Wingsaber and Bulkhead were going up against a green and brown giant lizard with conical spikes along its' back. This wouldn't've been a problem except that it seemed that the lizard could launch the spikes from its' tail at them.
"Jeez." Wingsaber exclaimed as she dodged one of the projectiles. She'd attempted to use her kunai moments ago only for the knives to bounce off it. "And I thought the thorny devils were nasty looking."
"Well watch yourself." Bulkhead replied. He went to slam his wrecking ball into the creatures' side, but it was deceptively fast and managed to sidestep him. "I don't think you'd want to have to pull out 'Mr. Bricklebutts' thorns." He added, causing his partner to laugh.
"That's Bristleback to you whippersnapper." The monster sneered. He sounded like a crotchety old man. "And I think I'll show you two just how I 'roll'." Rolling into a ball, Bristleback barreled towards the two Wreckers leaving a trail of loose spikes in the soil behind him.
Wingsaber watched as Bulkhead slammed his wrecking balls into the oncoming Bristleback. The blow did manage to knock their opponent back the way he came. Unfortunately, it also left several spikes embedded in Bulkheads' weapons. He wouldn't be able to retract them until the spikes were removed.
"Scrap." He cursed. "What are these cons fragging made of?"
Near the entrance to the mountain, Perceptor and Mach Hoof were trying to protect the scavenged parts from what looked like a mutant bald eagle with mad red eyes. It circled around them in midair on its black feathery wings.
"Back off Birdbrain." Mach Hoof yelled as she fired a Nucleon pulse that arced across the monster and into the ground. Whatever this thing was, it was well insulated against her attacks.
"Have we met?" It asked. Its' voice almost sounded like a squawk. "Because I don't remember introducing myself to a beast bot like you."
"Wait, really?" She asked in surprise. "Your name is actually Birdbrain?"
"Introductions later, we need to protect the equipment!" Perceptor yelled, peppering Birdbrain with shots from his sniper rifle.
"No problem." Rattrap called, running up to the twosome with Heinrad hot on his heels. Detaching the wheels on his hips he deployed the built-in blades in the treads and activated the spinning motors, turning them into a kind of circular saw. "Rad, get the parts to the extraction point!" He yelled.
"On it." Heinrad called back as he got into position.
"Ohh, parts and equipment." Birdbrain exclaimed. "I thought you were just collecting garbage. In that case." He let out a shrieking cry as he divebombed the four.
"Heinrad, MAXIMIZE!" With that both the time Maximal and the parts were gone in a matter of nanoseconds.
The sudden disappearance of one of his targets surprised Birdbrain. It surprised him enough that his mind went blank for a moment, and he flew past his opponents and collided with the mountainside.
"Woah, where'd this thing come from?"
"Okay, Birdbrain." Mach Hoof muttered, nodding. "Makes sense."
In the middle of the various battles across the clearing, Arcee and Leobolt were squaring off against a rotund, rust red and yellow monster with sharp hooks for hands and feet. The moment that this particular Horrorcon saw Arcee with its' pupilless yellow eyes, it made a beeline for her. Leobolt got between the two of them first, deploying his new weapons a set of four long claws deployed from each forearm, he met the brutes' hooks head on. It glared at Leobolt before turning its' look at Arcee.
"I see you were able to succeed with another where you failed with me Arcee." It called in a hauntingly familiar voice.
Maybe it was the fact that she'd dreamt of this bot the night before, or maybe it was seeing what her genius student had become, but Arcees' jaw and arms dropped in shock.
"Slog?"
"Arcee?" Leobolt questioned, looking at her. It was all the distraction Slog needed to give the Maximal a kick to the midsection and send him flying across the clearing.
"Jack!" Arcee exclaimed before having to block her former student herself. "Slog please, stop." She practically begged the Horrorcon, using her foot in his large belly to push him back. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't save you back then." This made Slog back down a bit.
"Sorry?" Slog asked. "Arcee, you have nothing to be sorry for. You tried to hide me that day and it nearly got you killed." He swung another hook at her, driving her back a few steps. "I will say however, that the combiner process Jhiaxus put us through truly gave me some clarity."
"Jhiaxus!" Arcee exclaimed. While she had no idea that the amoral scientist was involved in the combiner experiments, she shouldn't've been surprised. She felt an icy cold sensation grip her spark. There was only one combiner that didn't die immediately in those labs, although the senate wished they had afterwards.
"You mean that you're?" She began.
"The Monstructor six?" Slog laughed. "Why yes. And I must say that I finally understand why I was chosen now." Slog grinned at her with sharp teeth.
"You see, I find that all sentient life can be divided into two classes, oppressors and oppressed." Slog began, using his hooks to demonstrate. "There will always be conflict between these two groups and my genius allowed Monstructor to determine a perfect solution. Kill them all!"
Arcees' optics widened as she took a step back from Slog. "That, that, NO!" Arcee yelled at the monster that was once her student. "That isn't right or make sense."
"It does if you think about it." Slog replied. "If you kill the oppressors, there will always be someone who was oppressed to take over, Megatron was a prime example of that." He began as he and Arcee began to circle each other. "And if I kill the oppressed, the oppressors will simply begin oppressing each other or find new peoples to oppress. And so, the best way to truly end the cycle, is to destroy it utterly."
"And what about change?" Leobolt asked as he began to circle Slog alongside Arcee. "Oppression can be dealt with, with education and social change. It isn't a quick solution, but it is possible."
"And yet the people of both this world and Cybertron failed in those regards." Slog argued.
"Slog." Arcee added. "You're smarter than that, there are better ways."
"Ways that have proven ineffective." Slog countered.
"Enough moralistic debates!" Yelled Tarantulas. He'd been listening and growing bored with the conversation. "Your individual combat skills are effective, now it's time to test your 'overall effectiveness'." He gave a start as he heard Axers' ship begin to lift off. "Where are you going?"
"The agreement was for a drop off, not a round trip mate." Axer called as the main engine ignited. "Take it up with yer boss legs." With that the bounty hunter took off. Grumbling to himself, Tarantulas turned back to the clearing. Looking over the battlefield, he gave the order.
"Horrorcons, form Monstructor!"
At the command, each of the Pretender shells shuddered before a hatch in the back of each one opened. Suddenly, the fading light in the clearing seemed to fail completely, plunging the area into semidarkness. From each shell erupted a bot which rose into the air, the darkness making them seem like dark shadows. As the six figures converged and combined, a palpable wave of fear and dread washed over the area. The entire process felt less like the forming of a mechanical warrior and more like the conjuring of an evil spirit.
In the half-darkness surrounding them, the collective Autobots Maximals and Predacons beheld the new combiner towering over them. It was nearly as tall as Devastator in muted colors ranging from bronze and black, to red and blue, to brown and grey. It was broad shouldered with an impassive face that surveyed them.
"Monstructor!" Yelled Tarantulas. "These are your new enemies, lash out and leave nothing standing!"
"Your enemies' spider." Monstructor replied. For a large hulking figure, the combiner was surprisingly soft spoken. "My enemies are all who live and breathe, remember that, for one day I shall turn my full might upon you and yours as well." With that the combiner stalked towards the group, its' aura of fear growing with each footstep.
"Come one everyone!" Bulkhead called, sounding braver than he was feeling. "It's just another big ugly. Nothing we can't handle."
"Bulkhead, have you blown your neural cluster?" Nightbeat exclaimed. The effects of Monstructors' combining jolted him back to consciousness and into a panic. "That is Monstructor, the first combiner of modern times. It laid waste to almost the entire Elite Guard before it was stopped."
"Your friend is right." Monstructor added. "And all that stand before me must perish. Make it easy on yourselves. Give into your fear, it makes your deaths that much more satisfying for me."
Wingsaber drew her katanas. "We ain't afraid of you, Frankencon." She taunted, charging forward with Bulkhead, Leobolt, and Goldbug behind her.
"You need not be afraid of me directly." Monstructor admitted, locking eyes with her. A gesture that involuntarily made her freeze up. "But I know what you're afraid of young one. You fear losing those you care about, a fear your loved ones share regarding you as well. Let us make that fear a reality, shall we?"
With a superhuman speed belying the size of the combiner, Monstructor sidestepped his attackers. With a mighty kick they sent Bulkhead flying across the clearing and into the mountainside. When he came to rest on the ground, he landed in the same position he did when he nearly died of Tox-En poisoning.
"Bulkhead!" Wingsaber screamed in terror, the memory of seeing him nearly dead coming to her mind in vivid detail. She'd never seen her partner taken down so easily before.
"There's the fear filling." Monstructor joked as they raised a foot to stomp the femme. "Now, let us." They were cut off as Arcee Goldbug and Rhinox began peppering their body with blasts. "Hmm, I believe some additional reinforcements are in order."
A dark pulse erupted from Monstructor that seemed to have no immediate effect. That is until the inert Horrorcon shells started to move on their own. Acting almost animalistically, the shells began to attack the Autobots and Maximals alongside Monstructor
"Keep them off balance, my pack. Sow terror, so that I may hasten their deaths."
"Oh great." Nightbeat exclaimed as Bristlebacks' shell came rolling towards him. "He can use those too." He dodged, but not fast enough. The shell rolled over his lower legs, crushing them. Through the pain of his injury, he could see the shell coming back towards him. "No, NO!"
A pulse of Nucleon emerged from his left and collided with the shell, causing it to lose momentum before stopping completely. Nightbeat then felt as something connected with his shoulder before feeling himself being pulled backwards towards Kumara.
"Hang on officer." She whispered. "We'll have you on your feet again in no time. Kumara, Maximize!" Wrapping the damaged sections of Nightbeats legs in her webbing, Kumara let out a pulse of energy from her spark, healing the wounded Autobot. She was forced to cut her line and dodge to avoid being stabbed by Icepicks' shell.
"Ah." Monstructor softly exclaimed, turning to Kumara. "I can see your fears quite clearly my dear. Specifically, the fear that what has come to pass once, may do so again." They smirked as they snatched the Maximal from the ground. "Knowing and not in a single fear, such a delicacy." They moved to crush her head between their fingers before the sound of screeching wheels stopped them.
Rattrap had folded his legs up and lowered his reattached wheels to engage what he called his 'Knievel Mode'. Tearing across the dark clearing, he used Bulkheads' prone form as a ramp to launch himself onto Monstructors back. Thankfully the force of the impact caused the combiner to drop Kumara. Holding on for dear life, he detached his tail from his spine before slamming it into the back of the combiners' head.
"Rattrap, Maximize!" He called, mask sliding into place. "Let's see what's on your mind buddy."
Monstructor smiled. "Our mind isn't a nice place to be." Immediately Rattraps' mind was flooded with visions of the carnage and horror Monstructor had inflicted across both Cybertron and beyond. Horror beyond comprehension. Visions so terrible that Rattrap barely felt Monstructor shake him loose or his impact on the ground.
"Now you truly know what it is like to be me." Monstructor whispered. Raising a foot to crush the Maximal, they felt a sonic blast knock them backwards while vines grew to ensnare their feet. As Goldbug rescued Rattrap, Monstructor glared at Nightscream and Botanica.
"I grow tired of these games!" Monstructor yelled, wrenching their feet free of the vines. It had been a long time since so many victims were resistant to their aura. Grabbing the charging Rhinox, they winged him at Goldbug before swatting Nightscream out of the sky. "If you will not fear, then you shall simply die."
Taking on a purple aura, Monstructor began pulling energy from the area around them. Immediately their opponents began to feel sluggish as their very power was pulled from their bodies. Even the plants and animals around them began to wither and decay. Now, unable to stop what was happening to them, their enemies truly feel fear.
"That's it." Monstructor whispered. "Wallow in your fear. Feel the very life drain from your sparks and bodies."
Seeing their victims fall from energy loss, Monstructor lifted Leobolt off the ground by the arms. "Now." They began, grasping his feet in their other hand. "I think we shall start with this 'leader of the pack'." As they went to pull, a stream of fire engulfed Monstructors' head, causing them to drop Leobolt.
Near the tree line, Scourge was arguing with his charges.
"Scourge, we need to help them!" Razorbeast yelled as Monstructor swatted Nightscream out of the sky.
"I shall help them." Scourge corrected. "The two of you must stay here." He gave them a meaningful look. "If I lose the two of you as well, I would never recover. Please, stay hidden."
Seeing Monstructors' body glow and the all-consuming wave of fear and dread encompassing the area, Scourge looked at his charges.
"Promise me." He begged.
For a moment Drancron and Razorbeast looked mutinous. They'd never been in a real battle before and were eager to join one. However, they could not refuse their sire, not about this battle. Seeing Monstructor lift Leobolt with the intention to rip him in two, they answered.
"Go."
"Save them."
Transforming into beast mode, Scourge took off. Losing a stream of fire at the combiners' head, Scourge was pleased to see Monstructor drop Leobolt. Diving to catch the Maximal, he gently set the mech down before transforming back into bot mode.
"Leave our home now monster!" Scourge bellowed defiantly. "Or face the wrath of the Predacons!" Monstructor measured up the newcomer.
"The rage is always nice." They began. "But where's your fear?"
"In check, where it belongs." Scourge answered. "The worst of my fears have already come to pass. Your aura doesn't affect me so easily."
"The worst." Monstructor confirmed, sensing the trepidation from the forest. "But not the whole." With that the combiner charged towards the woods, intent on killing the other two Predacons they'd sensed. The weakened Autobots and Maximals could wait. It wasn't like they had the energy to flee anyway.
Realizing what they were planning to do, Scourge transformed and took off like a shot after them. Breathing another stream of fire into Monstructors' leg forced the combiner to spin around and backhand Scourge into the mountainside. Seeing the dazed Predacon land in a crumpled heap on the ground, the combiner decided to end remove this obstacle now. Holding up their hand, it became engulfed in a black flame that they'd dubbed their 'death touch'. An energy field of entropy that was so potent, it caused rapid decay in whatever they touched until the target perished.
"And thus ends, the last of the Predacons." Monstructor gloated. Before they could touch Scourge however, they felt a sharp pain cut across their back. Turning, they saw another combiner glaring back at them, wielding their broadsword. Magnaboss leveled their gaze at Monstructor.
"That's enough out of you monster." Magnaboss yelled. Using their chain gun, they peppered Monstructor with blasts. Unfortunately, due to their exposure to their opponents' dark aura, the Maximal combiner was horribly weakened, and the shots did little more than annoy Monstructor.
Monstructor let out a bellow as they charged forth. Reaching out with their death touch, they were surprised when Magnaboss let lose a cry of their own.
"Magnaboss, Maximize!"
The blade of the broadsword lit up with a greenish white glow and they swung back. The two energies met, and the resulting explosion blew Magnaboss halfway across the clearing while driving the much larger Monstructor back several paces before falling backwards onto their aft.
Shaking their head to clear the cobwebs, the first thing Monstructor noticed was that the Predacon they'd downed was being dragged away by the two that they sensed before. They also noticed that Magnaboss was sprawled on their back and barely moving. Seeing that the time for games was over, they got up and headed for the Predacons.
"Come on." Drancron grit as he tried to lift Scourge up. "Gotta, get you out of here."
Razorbeast was on Scourges other side.
"We can protect you and the Autobots as well." He reasoned.
"No." Scourge groaned in pain. "Please, run."
"Well, isn't this poetic?" Monstructor spoke as they towered over the trio of Predacons. "Two runts trying to save their sire." Holding up a hand, they reignited their death touch, sneering as the two transformed to beast mode and roared at them. "In this case I believe that a family that stays together, shall be slain together."
Seeing Monstructor reach for the Predacons, Magnaboss attempted to rise again. Unfortunately, their strength failed them, and they were forced to prop themselves up with their sword. Amongst the dread at the fact that they were about to witness the deaths of their new friends, the part of their mind that was Raf remembered what had happened with the Chimera Stone last night. As well as the fact that they still had it.
Pulling the artifact from a compartment near where they kept their broadsword, they aimed the Chimera Stone at the Predacons and prayed for a miracle.
The bright Magenta light blinded Monstructor for a moment. But through the glare they could make out what was happening to the Predacons. The back half of Scourges' dragon mode seemed to split in two as his forelimbs folded flush with torso. The two halves shifted and contorted into a pair of thick muscular looking arms as his wings spread out behind him. A great horned head then emerged from his shoulders near his wings.
From there, Razorbeast and Drancron connected back-to-back with Drancrons' wings detaching and Razorbeasts' spines shifting to cover the back of them both. Their lower halves twisted and lengthened into a long pair of legs while their upper halves reformed into an abdomen and part of a chest. Scourge then came to rest atop the other two, his dragon head nestling neatly between the heads of their own beast modes. Finally, the new combiner drew a large battle axe that seemed to be made from Scourges' tail as Drancrons' wings connected to its' left arm as a type of shield.
As the light rapidly faded, Monstructor took in their new opponent. They could sense no fear in him, only anger and determination.
"And who, pray tell, would you be?"
Glaring at Monstructor, the new combiner held his axe aloft.
"We are the hunters." He began, taking a battle-ready stance. Charging forward he swung his axe and sliced Monstructors arm. "We are the pack." With that he began to swing violently at Monstructor with the dark combiner barely missing each blow. He also punctuated each swing with a word.
"We!"
"Are!"
"Tripredacus!"
On the last word, Tripredacus managed to deliver a slash to Monstructors' chest, creating a shower of sparks from the blow. Heaving slightly, Monstructor held a hand to the damaged part of their body and held up the other.
"It doesn't matter what name or form you take." Monstructor began as they ignited a death touch. "All who stand in my path shall know the dark shadow of death." They charged forth, intent on destroying the new combiner.
"Then allow me to burn through the darkness!" Tripredacus yelled back defiantly. From each of the mouths on his chest, a stream of superheated plasma erupted and met Monstructors' touch head on. The force of the blast slowed and eventually stopped the dark combiner in its' tracks.
From his position, Tarantulas observed the battle. All seemed to be going well until this new combiner appeared. And while Monstructor could potentially hold its' own in battle against it, they were already weakened from the excessive use of their powers beforehand. Hopefully Galvatron could find a secondary combiner because it looked like they'd have to use Monstructor sparingly. Seeing the brief stalemate between the two combiners break, Tarantulas decided to bring this experiment to its' end.
"Monstructor!" He bellowed. "Leave them, we are returning to base!"
"It is not your place to say when my work is done spider." Monstructor called back, not taking their optics off Tripredacus. "As strong as this newcomer thinks he is, he won't prevail."
"Yeah, I'm not giving you a choice." Tarantulas replied as he hit a button on his wrist.
Monstructor gave a shudder as electricity coursed across their body. Moments later the dark combiner fell apart back into its' six components. The Monstructor six attempted to move but were incredibly weaker than they'd ever been before. Tarantulas chuckled darkly as the Pretender shells opened and pulled their respective owners back into them via tentacles and the light of the sunset returned in force.
Slog turned to glare at Tarantulas while the other five kept watch of the thoroughly confused Tripredacus.
"What have you done!" Slog bellowed; he'd never felt that weak before.
"Oh, just a little something to ensure compliance." Tarantulas taunted. "You six can only truly function now in your shells, which Galvatron has control over. Or as Monstructor which we can stop in a Klick."
"The type of control you are attempting is impossible to maintain." Slog argued. "Death and chaos shall always triumph."
"Hmm, agree to disagree. I mean, that's never stopped me before." Tarantulas countered as a spacebridge portal opened behind him. "Shall we then?" Hearing Tripredacus preparing another fiery blast, Slog gave the word.
"Horrorcons, retreat!" Moments later the seven retreated back to the Nemesis as Tripredacus' blast connected with where the portal had just winked out of existence. Giving a roar of victory, Tripredacus separated back into his component Predacons and ran to check on the slowly recovering Autobots and Maximals.
"Are you well enough to walk?" Scourge asked Jack as he Miko and Raf stood up shakily in beast mode.
"We will be in a few moments." Jack answered, happy to see Arcee and his mother getting up slowly now that Monstructors' aura was gone. "Thank you, for protecting us."
"No, thank you." Scourge replied as Razorbeast and Drancron began checking the other members of the group. "You three have given us the power to truly fight as a pack against any threat."
"Where are you going to go now?" Raf asked, as Miko ran to check on Bulkhead. "The cons know you're here now, and they will come back."
Scourge contemplated for a moment, before giving a nod.
"We shall have to take you up on your offer of a new den." Scourge announced. "You Maximals have proven yourselves to be allies to our Predacon pack, and our being nearby will benefit us all."
"We don't have a spacebridge capable of retrieving you, and I'm not sure we have enough room in our transport for all of us." Jack responded.
"Our new combined form allows us to fly, and we know the rough area of your base." Scourge explained. "We shall make our way there as Tripredacus by night and be there in a few days."
Jack saw the collective group watching the exchange. "Alright, but we will be keeping an eye out for you. Once the spacebridge is ready, we'll send a portal for you." He replied, heading towards the woods.
Scourge nodded his head in acceptance.
"We shall meet again soon." Scourge responded before turning to Razorbeast and Drancron. "Predacons, gather what you need." He began. "This den is no longer safe, and we must journey to a new one."
As the Autobots and Maximals began to traverse the woods back toward the airstrip, Arcee caught up with Jack.
"I hope you know what you're doing Jack." She whispered.
"Scourge proved that he isn't the monster we thought he was." Jack replied. "He attacked us because he was lied to, and I know Optimus wouldn't turn away anyone seeking refuge." He looked up at her. "And I will explain the entire situation to him when we get back." He added.
Arcee sighed before moving on ahead. Between this, and seeing Slog again, she was ready for this day to be over with.
"I hope you're right Jack, I hope you're right."
Meanwhile, on a dark desert highway. A large tentacled Decepticon was sitting in the back of a speeding monster truck. Behind them were a group of black and purple muscle cars accompanied by a small squadron of long-necked jets firing on them.
"Ye better move it me hearty!" Octopunch yelled as he alternated firing on the Jet and Car drones. Thankfully having arms as well as tentacles allowed him to use multiple guns simultaneously. Thankfully after that bomb crippled the Darksyde, he was able to get both of them to the shore where Stranglehold transformed and acted as their transportation.
"I am being flooring it now." Stranglehold yelled back. "Unless you are meaning for me to be tossing several tons of calamari?" Looking further down the road Stranglehold saw another issue in the form of a Tank drone roadblock. "And we are having other problem!"
Octopunch turned and saw what he was talking about. Tanks in front of them, cars behind them, and Jets above them.
"Pull over lad, we'll go out in a fine blaze of glory." He called. Moments later Octopunch got off Stranglehold while he transformed. The various drones transformed as well, with the Tanks all seeming to lock on stranglehold and the Cars on Octopunch with the Jets ready to fire indiscriminately.
The tension of the situation was broken, not by any of the combatants, but by a colossal spacebridge opening behind the tank drones. Through the spacebridge sped several army vehicles with heavy ordinance that began firing on the Car and Jet drones. The bigger surprise though, was the rumbling coming from the spacebridge as Devastator exited and slammed his fists into two of the Tank drones, flattening them before activating his vortex to suck in four of the Jet drones. Breaking out of their shock, the two Mayhem Attack Squad members began to tackle the drones as well. Less than ten minutes later, the collective drones had been dealt with.
Octopunch yelled to Devastator.
"Thank ye lads fer the rescue!"
"You're welcome." Devastator replied. This threw the two cons for a loop. Since when the scrap could Devastator talk? As the combiner began to separate, a lone human exited the spacebridge.
Taking off his sunglasses, agent Seymour Simmons looked at Octopunch and Stranglehold.
"Hello boys." He called up to them. "You looking for work?"
A/N: You know what they say about the enemy of my enemy.
Honestly, I used the Horrorcon name for the Pretender Monsters mostly because it was easier to use. Then as I started to write, I realized it fit with the shells. I also made Slog one of Arcees' students to give them a personal connection to Team Prime. I made Wildfly a femme for more female representation among the cons. Can't let Airachnid hog all the glory.
Tripredacus was a combiner I planned to throw in the minute I decided to use Magnaboss. Now both Maximals and Predacons have a combiner on their side. Honestly, while planning out this and the next couple chapters, I may have inadvertently created my own combiner wars.
Next Time: We will be catching up on some other Decepticon deserters.
Until then, please fave, follow, and review.